"I don't really know why," Tannehill told King. "I'll just get ready to throw for them and do my best."

Michael Vick will turn 32 in June and obviously is entrenched as the starter in Philadelphia. That said, there aren't many teams in football that need a capable backup quarterback more than the Eagles. Vick has never started more than 13 games in his three seasons with the team.

Unless he morphs into a pocket passer as he ages -- think a late-period Randall Cunningham -- Vick's likelihood for injury only figures to increase as he advances into his 30s. Kevin Kolb left the team prior to the 2011 season and Vince Young wasn't the answer as his replacement, leaving an unsettled depth chart in Philly. Tannehill could fill the understudy slot while serving as the QB of the future, perhaps in the Favre-Rodgers mold.